Vibrator



Sept. 13, 1932. R. HETHERINGTON VIBRATOR Filed Dec. 2, 1950 j Affurthe'r purpose is to secure Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED ,STATES- PATENT vrnzmron Application filed December 2, 1930. Serial No, 499,453.

- My invention relates to a vibrator for use in stimulating and exercising facial or other muscles, for example to reduce superfluous fat or excess weight, and may be used with great effectiveness in the stimulation and exercise of thechin muscles to reduce double or triple chins. i

A purpose of my invention is'to provide mechanism. of the character'indicated that will beea'sy and inexpensive tomanufacture and-well suited to the needs of service. 7

A furtherpurpose is to provide a-stimulatorfand exerciser. strap with vibratory longitudinal oscillation including positive movementsin. one direction and spring retractions thereof in a 'waythat attains an eflect of one directi'onalfrubbing strokes,

rapidly repeated along the same somewhat curving path, the rubbing movements being effected positively and the-retractions being effected resiliently while the strap is mo mentarily loose.

1 'A further purpose; is to stretch an intermediate portion of an exercising and muscle stimulating strap over spaced guides, attaching the ends beyond the guides respectively to a springand to a rapidly rotating crank.

patting action bv usinga positive advance of oueend in one direction against'a spring retraction and a releasing movement at the positively advancedpend after each advance morerapid alone: anearlier. portion of its path than the retracting movement of the spring.

illustrates the principles involved.

.Figure 1 is a top plan view of structure embodying a-desirable form of my inventlon. x v

F lgure'la ISGL fragmentary top plan view corresponding-to Figure l'but showing a modification; v I

Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure-1. Figures 3 and 4 are left end and right end elevations respectively of F igure 2, Figure device in position for stimulating, exercising andreducing the muscles'thereof; i 1 Y Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view to' aid in illustrating the probable reason for therubexerciser strap. i p

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures H In the drawing'a base 10 carries standards 11 and 12 that support at' their upper'ends roller guides 18 and 14' for an intermediate 'bing and patting action of the stimulator and ll 5 Bonnier nn'rnnnme'ron, on SHARON HILL, Fewest mum 3 illustrating a chin in-dot-and-dash with the Describing in illustration and not in limitation' and'referring tothe drawing:'

portion of a stimulator and exerciser strap I l The base carries a lightmoto'r 16 conveniently driven by'electric current available through a suitable socket connection, not

shown, the Inotor'operati'n'g 'by'means of-a suitable belt and pulley connection 17 and a shaft 18 that journals'at'lgin the standard ll'and carries an operating crank 20." My stimulator 'and exerciser strap 15 stretches across the tOD'Qf the guide rollers and extends downwardly on one side to make a loose ring 'engagementat 21 with the crank 20 and on the other; side is resiliently pulled downwardly by aspring 22. The ring need not be inflexible material. I

The user applies the facial or othersurface under treatment to the strap for either rapid one-directional'rubbing or rapid" patting, surface being rubbed when held suflicientlv inwardly forfcontinuous engagementfwith the strap and patted when surface at intervals only. M 1

The rapid rotation of the crank moves the ring end of the stimulator and exerciser strap it engages the downwardly during one half of each revolution and the spring retracts the strap resiliently throughout the other half of each rotation, the quick downward movement on the other end being responsive to the pull of the spring. The crank moves faster than the spring can take up the slack caused by the quick upward movement of the crank.

During an early portion of each retraction the rate of upward travel of the crank, for example between the points 23to 24, Figure 5 may be considerably more rapid than the pick-up retractive movement of the spring.

As a result, if operated alone without being presented to a surface under treatment, the stimulator and exerciser strap momentarily sags downward during each upward movement of the crank, momentarily occupying a lowposition, such as that indicated in dotand-dash at 25, Figure 2.

While the crank is near the top of its travel, for example between the points 24 and 26, Figure 5, the vertical movement of the crank is relatively slow while the spring retraction is probably most rapid in that it has been accelerating while overcoming an initial inertia of itself and strap during the earlier -more rapid portion of the upward movement of the crank. As a'resultthere may be but littlelooseness of the strap by the time the crank reaches the position 26.

Whatever the true explanation the middle portion of the strap has a vertical as well a longitudinal oscillation, with the strap end near the crank also oscillating horizontally in a direction longitudinal of the roller guide 13, the positive pulls of the crank, exerted during one half of each rotation thereof giving rapid pats or rapid rubs to any surface presented to the strap, the action being patting or rubbing according to how the surface is presented to the strap, the rubbing and patting actions desirably alternately stimulating and exercising the muscles under treatment, the one-directional rubbing however being particularly desirable.

It will be evident that the patting and rubbing characteristics of the operationvary with variation in either the velocity of the motor or the throw of the crank.

I preferably provide means for varying the crank throw, illustrating the crank as screwing alternatively in any one of a series of tapped holes 27 that are successively of progressively different distance from the axis of the shaft.

The crank not only effects a positive downward movement of its end of the stimulator and exerciser strap but also moves it laterally along the roll, the effect being to make each individual rub a combination of two movements, one of which is longitudinal of the strap and the other of which is lateral in a direction longitudinal ofthe roller, so that the individual rubbing movements are all in. the same direction and along the same some what curved path.

The strap is normally so loose during the spring retractions as to substantially eliminate rubbing engagements during the spring retraction.

In practice the rubbing actions and the patting actions are found to be also variant for different points along the length of the strap, and a user may obtain a particularly stimulating rubbing action by applying the muscle under treatment to the portion of the strap at the roller guide 13,'which is desirably made of rubber.

I illustrate that the distance between the roller bearings may be varied to better accommodate different portions of the body, one of the standards carrying a plurality of bearings 29 for alternative use in journalling the roller 14. r

It will be understood that the rollers may optionally be merely stationary guides which are to be fastened to the standards but to,

avoid undue wear, I prefer to make these members rollers.

In Figure 10) I have shown stationary guides 1 k as being part of the standard 11' over which the strap 15 is moved.

In practice the roller nearest the crank nearly always has a greater angular movement of rotation during the downward movement of the crank than during its upward movement so that this roller when angularly h In practice most of the structure is encased i so that merely the part thereof that is to be applied to the muscles needing exercise and stimulation will be exposed. This casing has not been shown on the drawing.

The device may be fastened permanently to a table or wall and I illustrate handles at 30 for holding the device as well as screw holes at 31 for fastening it down if desired.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will'doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and

I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. A strap, spaced guides engaging one side of an intermediate portion thereof, a crank adapted to rapid rotation connected to one end of the strap for positively moving the strap longitudinally in one direction and a spring at the other end of the strap pulling the strap longitudinally in the reverse direction to cause a vibratory action.

2. In a vibrator of the character indicated v *9 to the rollers and the other end being reincluding a frame, a strap, a crank adapted to rapid rotation, having a loose connection to one end of the strap and a spring connected for continuously pulling the other end of the V strap, said spring-connected endbeing fixedto the frame.

3. A strap, spaced guides engaging and guiding one side of an intermediate portion thereof and being mounted in a frame, a crankshaft having a crank pin loosely connected to one end of the shaft, an electric motor for operating the shaft, a spring socured to the frame and continuously pulling the other end of the strap and a frame for supporting the guides, crankshaft, motor and spring. 7

4:. In a strap exercising machine, a frame, spaced rollers mounted in the frame, a strap passing across the roller and narrower than one of the rollers at the point where it engages that roller, crank means for positively pulling the strap at the end at which it is narrower than the roller and at the same time for oscillating this end of the strap with respect to the roller length and'a spring secured to the frame and engaging the other end of the strap to provide for resilient retraction of the strap.

5. In a strap exercising device, a frame, a crank mounted on the frame, a strap having an end engaged by the crank, a roller about which the strap passes, the roller being longer than the width of the strap, a'resilient device fixed to the frame for retracting the strap and means for continuously revolving the crank.

6. In a strap-exercising device, a frame, a strap and rollers for guiding the strap, one end of the strap being connected to a crank mounted in the frame at right angles siliently attached to the frame.

ROBERT HETHERINGTON. 

